The present invention relates to a tape holding case including at least two different tapes being fed in association with each other, one of which is made visible after being fed out from the case, and more particularly to a tape holding case arranged to be mounted on a tape printer unit for producing a labeling tape, which is to be stuck to a suitable object after having arbitrary characters and symbols printed thereon for desired labeling on a transfer tape for lettering design which is pressed against a suitable object to transfer information to it.
A case unit for producing labeling tapes and transfer tapes typically includes two or three different tapes stored within the cases as disclosed in Utility Model Application Sho 62-199662.
In its use, these tapes are fed out in association with one another to achieve their own functions.
However, it sometimes happens in such a tape holding case that, one of the two tapes travels though the other of tapes has been already fed out. Looking at the tape being fed out, an operator sees it possible to operate printing or the like and continues on such processing, thereby causing some abnormality in the printer unit.
Assume that the tape holding case is for the lettering purpose housing therein a print tape and an ink ribbon to be thermally transferred to the print tape. In this tape holding case, the ink ribbon is included in the case is in a wound state and taken up onto a spool provided within the case. Since the print tape along is fed out from the tape holding case, the print tape is still being fed out if the ink ribbon is completely taken up. This makes an operator believe there is no such abnormality as to cease the printing operation.
Since the ink ribbon has already stopped feeding, the stationary print head keeps heating one spot of the ink ribbon, while the print tape runs along the back side thereof developing continuous friction against the ink ribbon. As a result, the ink ribbon is often broken and tangled within the case or in the printer unit, or the print head may be soiled with the molten ink on the ink ribbon. Furthermore, overheat at the motor taking up the ink ribbon is very likely to cause some trouble in the printer unit.
Especially, the ink ribbon can usually be taken up manually by the operator to avoid slackening. This makes the aforementioned problem easy to be encountered even if the print tape and the ink ribbon has the same length.